Railway-car



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

L. J. HARRIS.

RAILWAY GAR. l

No. 451,244. PatentedApr. 28, 1891.

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(No M-odel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L. J. HARRIS.

RAILWAY GAR. l '110. 451,244. 11611761111111111111. 28, 1891.

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UNrTnD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIE J. HARRIS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

RAILWAY-CAR.

SPECIFCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,244, dated April 28, 1891.

Application filed July 24, 1890. Serial No. 359|723. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LoUIE J. HARRIS, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

It is the object of my invention to so irnprove freight, refrigerator, stock, and grain cars, and box-cars generally, as to greatly enhance the safety afforded to trainmen passing along on the top of the roofs of the same.

It is also the object of my invention to so improve the construction of cars of the class referred to as to render the same more efficient than heretofore by adding to the room therein.

It is also the object of my invention to provide improved means for loading cars, as also to provide separate and convenient store-room for particular kinds of freight-as, for instance, ice in refrigerator-cars and grain or other feed in stock-cars.

vIt is also the object of my invention to provide other improvements incidental to those hereinbefore mentioned, as Will appear from the description hereinafter given.

Reference is to be had to the-annexed drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, forming a part this specification, the same letters designating the same parts or features, as the case may be, wherever they occur.

In the drawings, Figure l is an end view of a car embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same, taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

My invention consists in constructing the runningboard of cars of the kind mentioned on a plane below that of the roof proper, so that walls will be formed on both sides of the running-board as a means of safety to trainmen who are obliged to pass along upon the roof of the car.

The space beyond the Walls at the sides of the running-board and beneath the roof of the car I utilize in various ways.

In the drawings, a designates the door of the car, b the sides, and r the roof proper.

d designates the running-board, which is considerably below the roof, building the car Y at the sides of the running-board higher than the latter, so that when the car is viewed from the end the running-board will appear as though laid upon the bottom of a depression or trough formed in the top of the car, as shown in Figs. l and 3. By this means a passage-Way is formed along the top of the car, which passage-way is guarded on its sides with Walls sufficiently high to protect trainmen passingtherealong from accidentallyslipping, falling, or being thrown off the roof of the car.

The space e at the sides of the runningboard and beneath the root` I utilize in various ways. It may form a part of the general store-room of thel car, as shown at the right in Fig. 3, to be employed as circumstances or the necessities of the case may suggest. Again, I may form a iioor F at the bottom of the space c, substantially on the same horizontal plane as the running-board d, and thus suit the space e to receive ice, as in a refrigerator-car, or grain or other feed in a stock-car, &c.

In most instances I prefer to provide doors c of suitable character in the walls extending above the running-board at the sides thereof, so that access may be gained to the compartments or spaces e. These doors c also afford convenient means for loading the car With grain, ice, e. The doors c may be formed of slats similar to a common windowblind, or be otherwise constructed, in order lto constitute ventilators for the interior of the car. The iioor F may also be constructed of slats or be otherwise formed, so as that air IOO provement by building on the top of the roof at the sides of the running-board, as above the dotted line D, Fig. l, though for the most pnrt it is contemplated to adaptthe improvenient to new cars.

It is obvious that changes may be made in the form, proportions, and arrangement of parts comprising my improvements Without departing from the nature or spirit thereof. t

Having; thus described my invention, I declare that what I claim isl. A railway-oar provided With a depressed passage-way in its top, vertical Walls adjacent to the sides of the said passage-Way, and doors c in 111e said vertical Walls, as set forth.

LOUIE J. HARRIS.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR W. CRossLEY,

A. D. HARRIsoN. 

